Overview[]
Player 2 is a 64K cartridge (and accompanying box, instruction booklet, overlay, certificate and A3 poster) which features more than ten simultaneous two player games for the Vectrex.
Acting as a sort of two player championship, the cartridge tracks overall scores across ten main and four hidden bonus games.
Menu System[]
Scores, times and settings are saved to the cartridge and automatically loaded on resumption of play. The menu system also allows manual load and save. The menu system not only allows selection of games, but also selection of alternative game modes, screensavers, hardware test facilities, secret codes, special game settings and a choice from 5 in-game language translations. Player 2 is the only Vectrex cartridge (at time of writing) with this facility. There is also a single player setting for Incoming, the biggest game on the cart. All settings, including Incoming overall time, can be saved and loaded from the menu.
The in-game pause menu similarly allows selection of alternate play mode, as well as resuming the game or returning to the main menu.
Player 2 games include[]
Pong and Tennis
Early videogames, recreated with numerous options.
SpaceWar
Space combat game - options include rate of fire, turn speed, movement speed and optional black hole.
Rotatazor
Arcade shooter - shoot more aliens than your competitor. Includes options for movement speed and alien wave types.
Spiderfish
Two different enemies rove into view, with different movement patterns. Players compete to bring their crosshairs to a fresh target as fast as possible. Includes usual options for speed and enemy type.
Balloons
Aim arrows to hit your balloons or neutral (unmarked) balloons, which float up the screen in different sizes and speeds. If you hit an enemy balloon your opponent gains points instead. You can also aim at each other. Alternative versions of play include a different mechanic for gravity, requiring curved shots.
Artillery
Turn based artillery action game. Each player has to calculate power and angle to hit the enemy turrets. Game variations include a moving obstacle, rebounds (2 to 6), stronger turrets and wind affecting trajectory.
Racers
Two player racing game with multiple tracks. The game uses a front wheeled inertial model, allowing skilled players to take some circuits without releasing the throttle using rear wheel drift. Options include different speed and handling mechanics and a hidden track.
Tron
Two player classic from the early 80s. Lightcycles race each other around the arena, with settings for speed of movement.
Incoming
The largest game on the cartridge, Incoming is a 100 room maze game where two players must cooperate to move an energy sphere through 7 levels of increasingly difficult obstacles. The game can also be played with one player, either by switching player function from the in-game menu, or by selecting Single Player from the Extras 2 menu option - which turns the game into a time trial. Times and highest level reached can be saved, allowing resumption of progress at a later time. Obstacles include monsters, doors and keys, timed lasers, magnets, fans and more. Extra lives can be found in some rooms and the game also has a gravity option, which dramatically increases the difficulty.
Box Contents[]
Player 2 comes in a standard black Vectrex cartridge with a metallic-finish label. The game comes in a box that matches the originals, but with a better finish. A 5 language instruction manual is included (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, to match the in-game language options) as well as a card sized certificate of authenticity, a protective wrapper for the cartridge and an A3 colour poster. Each cartridge contains the name of the purchaser and the cartridge number, within the menu system itself. A new name can be displayed instead, and saved to the eeprom memory, but the original name can always be restored. Some copies of the game have also included special request messages, for instance prior to a wedding, or to the person the game was purchased for.
Reception[]
The game received 95 percent and the description "magical" in the Italian Retro Gaming Magazine. Player 2 has been used in classes demonstrating early video game technology and is set to feature in an upcoming online tournament, as well as featuring as the prize.
Hidden Features[]
Include but are not limited to : seasonal content/dlc which are unlocked with codes sent to owners through the first year of ownership, a further four games including Joust, hidden options and settings, a system which can alter the Incoming map layout if rooms prove to difficult for some players and further unrevealed hidden features.
Authorship[]
Player 2 was created by Robin Jubber, and is available from Jubbernaut - http://www.jubbernaut.com/?page_id=645